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CASTLES OF THE RHINE AND WINE IN RUDESHEIM

Yesterday, we departed the Moselle and cruised the most beautiful part of the Rhine. While doing my morning workout of walking laps around the top deck, I enjoyed the beautiful sunshine, once the fog burned off. Our View along the way was of castles dotted on the mountainside, on each side of the Rhine. What an amazing sight! And, as we cruised along, Nico did a commentary, telling us the history of each castle.

Lunch was traditional German fare; perfect after gazing (and gawking) at castle after castle. We were greeted at the entry of the dining room by our chef with Bavarian pretzels and served tall drafts of Beck’s beer by our servers. Lunch was a delicious buffet of all the usual German favorites.

We arrived in Rudesheim in the afternoon and took a short bus ride to the Schloss Vollrads winery, for a wine tasting. This winery has the distinction of having its wine served to first class passengers aboard Luftansa flights. And, yes, the wine was good for German wine, however, my personal tastes definitely lean more towards California sparklings and zins, rather than German Reislings. Throw in a New Zealand pinot noir or sauvignon blanc or an Australian shiraz and I am a very happy camper. But, I did enjoy our winery visit; especially seeing the tower that dates back to 1330 and the main house, dating back to 1684. In the dining room, the wallpaper was made of calf skin leather and had painted designs!

The most interesting thing about Schloss Vollrads wines is the innovative glass stoppers that are used for each bottle. In addition to the glass stopper, a screw top is used to prove the wine seal has not been broken. But, the glass stopper is completely air tight and can be reused- in their own bottles. (I was given one to take home, however, it will not fit other bottles.)

Following our wine tasting and tour of the main house, we were taken back to Rudesheim for free time to explore the town. I found it to be quite touristy, full of tacky souvenir shops. But, it also had some charm that made it worth a walk around. I had hoped to follow it with a swim in the local bad (pool), located very close to our dock, however, I would have had only a very short time to swim before closing time. So, I settled for a photo instead and wandered back to the ship for dinner.